What a Mighty God We Serve

O Israel, fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

There was a man with a history of violence, who was paroled from prison, where he served time for selling machine guns. He was to report to his parole officer within three days. Instead, he stole a car, changed the license plates, drove two hundred miles to where his ex-girlfriend lived, kidnapped her and her two babies at knife-point, and headed for California.

Needing money, he drove to my city and went into a mall, looking for a Western Union office. He left the woman in the car with the keys. Coming out, he realized she had driven off and called the police. He was desperate, and he saw me coming out of the mall, headed for my car. As he approached me, alarms were going off in my head. He asked me to drive him downtown. I didn’t know he had a butcher knife under his shirt. I told him no, that I wasn’t going that way, and that he should go into the mall and use a phone to get a ride. He stared at me and then looked very confused. He walked away through the parking lot, looking in cars for an unlocked car with keys in it.

Only later that night, while watching the news, did I realize who he was, and called the police. Officers who knew him, couldn’t believe he had taken my “no” for an answer.

He was eventually caught and incarcerated again. Upon his release, he murdered a woman in Colorado and is serving a life sentence. Later, a New York Times best-selling book was written about his life of crime. Always remember what the Lord has done for you. No matter what you face, God is with you and He is faithful to keep all that you have entrusted to Him.

Connie Zellers